Many factors have contributed to the decline of this neighbourhood. The current tenure mix mainly consists of social housing tenants; the landlords of these properties are responsible amongst others for the lack of investment in general in the area. The lack of investment alongside tenant’s general apathy has resulted in the area becoming run down, with overgrown gardens, and lack of maintenance of the garden fences and gates.
There are a large number of elderly people living on the estate that feel that although the estate is run down and needs investment they feel supported by there inner circle of neighbours and wish to remain in the area, unlike many of the younger population that view a move to Lime Tree as a temporary move which they wish to transfer out of as soon as they can. Large open spaces on the estate have lead to increased dog fouling and fly tipping, with nearby takeaways contributing to the already problem of litter.
Although the estate contributes of a large mix of family homes (64 three bedroom houses, 42 two bedroom houses) there are no defined play areas, no community facilities and other recreational facilities, this effects not only the young but many of the elderly residents feel that lack of facilities have contributed to their increased social isolation. Not only is there a lack of recreational facilities but also there is no health facility or local supermarket. Transport is a major factor on the isolation that the young and old feel adds to them being able to access basic services.
Bus services are somewhat limited and do not meet the needs of the population. The lack of health facilities result in children not attending clinics as often as they should and missing out on important early stage assessments. There are a high number of residents who suffer from chronic medical conditions and mental health problems resulting in many who are dependant on disability benefits. Although there are a few businesses on the outskirts of the estate many of these are now boarded up. There is an open public house but this has a bad reputation, although the appointment of a new manager it is hoped that he will be able to change this.
There is no launderette of post office facilities on the estate. There is a large disused building on the estate thought to have previously been a dairy. The children from the estate are mainly enrolled in the local primary school on the edge of the estate. This school has received a damming ofsted report for its lack of involvement with the not only the wider community but also parents of children attending the school. This school has a higher than average population of pupils with additional learning support needs.
The estate has high levels of unemployment, with many of the residents lacking basic skills. There is however vacancies available locally for some of the young single mothers on the estate however some residents feel that they are stigmatised simply due to their living on the estate. The truth of the matter for many unemployed is that they lack the skills set for the vacancies in the area. In general this estate suffers from intergenerational tension, with many older people complaining of youths loitering around the estate, drinking.
This has resulted in many older people stating they feel too intimidated to go out at night. Improvements needed to bring back this neighbourhood a success Firstly it is suggested that a quality of life survey is completed, the purpose of this survey will be to establish a base line relating to the level of fear of crime and quality of life in the area in order that priorities be set. It is felt that this estate would benefit if a working group was set up to develop a neighbourhood action plan.
This group could consist of partners such as the police, the health authorities and local council to examine the best way to tackle the issues faced by this area and to adopt an approach of neighbourhood planning in conjunction with local residents. It is felt that the key recommendations that are likely to come out of resident consultations and from what is already known to improve the area are: • Kent highways to work with residents to establish speed monitoring on cut through roads and to establish where public transport is lacking. To set up an established regular bus route to the nearest health facility and local supermarket • To run outreach clinics on the estate for health visitors such as sexual health and drop in clinics for young mothers • To work with landlords to ensure tenants are tenancy compliant – keeping gardens tidy and to ensure landlords fix broken fences and gates in a timely manner (to prevent asb)
• Windmill to work with local council to develop a plan for regeneration for the area. • Develop a programme to tackle low sills and worklessness • To set up a “Foul Play” anti dog mess ampaign (to prevent this form of asb) • Improvements to the appearance of the businesses on the edge of the estate and to bring the empty units back into use – possibility with one of these being used as a community facility for outreach work • To work with the local primary school, parents and partners to support them in achieving the goals required by ofsted • Increase provision of public services such as library, youth club • To set up a restorative practise project to challenge young people’s behaviour and encourage them to identify changes that may lead to them changing or moderating their behaviour (to tackle asb) • Educational workshops to tackle alcohol abuse and to establish a alcohol exclusion area • Options to refurbish the dairy and its surrounding areas to turn into a community facility • To install a designated play area with equipment for all ages
Key to delivering a successful community engagement project is to undertake work around developing a business plan, identifying funding, to understand the needs of the various agencies and partners and to gain their support for and involvement in the project. A considerable amount of resources will be needed to turn this estate around, not just financial, but also time and dedication to set up working groups and partnership agencies that will work with the community to increase the quality of life of the residents of this estate. Community Development Key Issues Community development is not about rushing in and trying to fix any problems that may be apparent.
It is about empowering individuals to make the changes they need to improve their lives and communities. Key issues for community development is to address imbalances in power and bring about change founded on social justice, equality, social and financial inclusion. Community development work cannot take place without the engagement of the community, this is something that a lot of community development workers struggle with. Often the greatest need members of society are the hardest to reach and engage with and new ways of engagement are always looked for. Many communities such as the Lime Tree estate are quite transient and a good community development worker will need to ensure that they understand the communities that they work in.
Localism Bill ;Decentralisation and the Localism Bill (HM Government 2010) – has assisted in enabling local people to regain power and control over what they want for their communities. This has allowed funds to go directly to where it is needed most. The Localism Act of 2011 – aims to build a society that is more self sufficient and that does not heavily rely on government. This act gives the community a greater say on things with only 5% of the individuals in any one local authority requesting a local referendum. Different Approaches to community development that may work on this estate? Community Profiling- is basically where an attempt is made to describe any particular community.
By using a range of different methods it is hoped that a more complete picture is attained of the community. Community profiling is often the base for then building upon a community action plan. Community profiling can include: Individual research, professional profiling, focused profile or corporate action research. Tools likely to be used when completing a community profile may include examining census information and official statistics . It can be argued that by completing a community profile any action that is developed out of it will be more grass rooted and more likely to be successful as it is more aware of the bigger picture of the community.
However it can be argued that dependant on the way in which the community profiling is completed and by who will depend on how the results are utilised and put into action. This may be a good place to start for the Lime Tree estate and would give a good indication of how and where to initially spend time and resources on improving the area. By completing a community profile links will start to be made in the community and any already established links could be nurtured to then go on and involve the community further. Community Involvement – In order for any interventions to be successful on this estate, it is going to need community involvement and backing. It is essential to encourage and enable residents to become actively and passively involved.
All residents will need to be listened too, to ensure it is heard what the community is saying. A significant amount of time is going to be needed to deal with community concerns, and where concerns are raised it may be necessary to change any planned actions to accommodate where ligimate concerns are raised. Throughout the process consultation will need to be sought and adequately feed back. And at all times the community will need to be well informed of planned changes and activities. DefiningAnti-Social Behaviour The term anti-social behaviour (asb) covers a wide range of activities that have a negative effect on the quality of community life.
In relation to housing as stated by Section 218A(8) of the Housing Act 1996 (amended by the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003): “conduct which is capable of causing nuisance or annoyance to any person and which directly or indirectly relates to, or affects, the housing management functions of a relevant landlord”. And Section 1 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998: “acting in an anti-social manner as a manner that caused or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household”. Anti-social behaviour can have a devastating effect on communities and individuals. ASB often has a negative impact on all people affected by it whether they are young or old and often in whole communities asb can reduce the quality of life for all residents. In particular problem families often impact on surrounding residents due to their intimidation, harassment and often criminal damage that they cause.
Other examples include fly tipping which greatly reduces the appearance of neighbourhoods and how people feel about where they live, plus the cost of clearing the rubbish away. Often as in the case of tenants that live in blocks of flats where there is asb such as noise, this can have a detrimental impact on families and particular children at school if they cannot get adequate sleep and time to study. Different legal and non-legal solutions for tackling asb. There are a range of legal options that may be used to deal with cases of asb, if the perpetrator ignores written warnings appropriate legal action will be taken. There are different types of enforcement avenues that may be used which include:
Injunctions – which would allow an application to be made to prohibit asb that affects the management of our housing stock, however an injunction will only be sought against a perpetrator over the age of 18. Anti-social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) – these are civil orders which can be used to stop specific anti-social acts and/or from entering defined areas. However the government has announced plans to tackle asb include the abolition of ASBOs and the introduction of new behaviour orders. Parenting Orders- this is a court order which normally means that a parent or carer must attend parenting classes, there may also be ordered to meet other conditions like ensuring their child is in by a certain time, this can prevent asb from the child.
Starter Tenancies – this is more likely to be preventative of asb, this type of tenancy allows us to monitor the tenant as whether they are a good tenant and comply with the terms of their tenancy agreement. Starter tenancies are normally 12 months long but can be extended dependant on how the tenant acts. We also have the power to demote an assured tenancy if asb occurs. Possession order (Eviction) – in extreme cases and as a last resort we can apply for an eviction order. This will need to be approved by the Head of Neighbourhoods prior to the eviction order being sought. When establishing effective remedies for tackling asb the Lime Tree estate staff will need to work closely with local police, environmental health and other housing associations where appropriate. The local children’s ommunity centres often can help out with early invention and preventative work as they can have good established links with the community and are often a hub where we can encourage resident involvement.
The police are one of our key partnership agencies to ensure appropriate warnings are issued to perpetrators of asb where appropriate this can include: juvenile and final warnings, cautions and fixed penalty notices. The police also have the power to arrest people who engage in disorderly, threatening or insulting behaviour under the Public Order Act 1986. Managing this neighbourhood Recognition that the physical environment of a neighbourhood can affect the likelihood of asb occurring, as well increasing resident safety and perception in the area it is essential to have a clear neighbourhood management strategy.
The most relevant to the Lime Tree Estate will include: • Carrying out of regular neighbourhood inspections – this will allow any trouble hot spots to be highlighted and acted upon, It will be good practice to invite residents from the Lime Tree estate to these so they can highlight any of their concerns • Effectively managing maintenance contracts-This is particularly important in relation to the groundwork’s around the estate too ensure that the ‘common ground’ is maintain – this in turn will improve the issue with dog fouling and fly tipping. By correct managing of the maintenance contracts and by working with the planned works section it is hoped that a lot
• To carry our estate improvements and planned property upgrade programmes – The Lime Tree estate has declined due to lack of interest however with new planned upgrades of the kitchens and bathrooms it is essential to continue to invest in this area. Neighbourhood Advisors (Management) will: • Manage tenancies in accordance with the tenancy agreement • Provide advice to customers relating to tenancy status ie assignments, succession, joint/sole tenancies • Investigate and manage anti-social behaviour cases • Facilitate customer engagement and involvement • Develop community projects • Work in partnership with other agencies working in the neighbourhood
• Provide advice to customers on rent and lettings issues • Undertake estate inspections and ensure that communal spaces are well maintained • Attend external meetings in the neighbourhood • Undertake tenancy audit and starter tenancy visits Undertake accompanied viewings with potential tenants • Undertake pre-transfer visits In addition to managing the neighbourhood by tackling housing management issues there are a number of crime deterrents that can be used to address community issues. Examples that may be used on the Lime Tree Estate: • Changing the layout of the common ground and maybe including some outdoor gym equipment or a designated play area • Installation of CCTV cameras where there is a clear benefit to be gained and there is an arrangement to monitor the recordings
• Installation of signage – working with KCC to reduce speed campaign through the cut through roads • Improved lighting Installation of classical music outlets or pink tube lighting or other creative approaches to prevent the congregating of youths around the shops. Essentially we need to remember that: • Recognising The Lime Tree estate is unique and will have different issues , priorities • We need to give the opportunity to pilot innovative strategies and neighbourhood plans to meet the specific needs of this community • Take the opportunity to build strong and effective partnerships locally Conclusion In conclusion there are many key issues which affect community development of which these can be affected by local and national policies. For the purpose of this report community involvement and profiling have been identified as approaches that could be used on this estate.
There are many skills and resources that would be needed to develop this community and a great deal of partnership working would be essential to progress this estate. All of this must be done with the input of the residents both living in social housing and private housing. It is essential that as a housing association we have a clear action plan of how we can as landlords ensure that we are doing everything within our power to develop this community. Many factors have been explained as to why this neighbourhood has declined and some solutions as to what could make it a success. Much of these issues can be defined as asb and with different legal and non-legal remedies which can be helped to turn this estate around.
